Category Archives: cardigan

Adrift

Rosie finished her Adrift cardigan last week and I wanted to show you how gorgeous it is! The yarn, Urth Uneek Fingering (ON SALE NOW!) is absolutely gorgeous, the striping turned out beautifully for both the arms and the body.

The pattern isn’t specifically intended to be worn oversized, but you know how mannequins are – one size fits all. The pattern is written from the top down, so it’s easy to make it as large or small as you like, and the sleeves can be short, 3/4, or long, it’s super simple to make adjustments.

If stripes aren’t your thing you can also make it in a solid, semi-solid, or variegated colourway, so you can substitute any fingering weight yarn (the number of skeins required would be the same as in the materials below).

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Paprika

I’m sorry it’s been so long since you’ve heard from us, I’ve had the Flu for what seems like an ETERNITY! While I’ve spent a good amount of my spare time dosed to the gills with Dayquil/NyQuil, I’ve managed to get a few things finished … including this sweater, Paprika.

I love the look of mohair, but I don’t love the itchy feel, so I’ve been doing some experimenting with Drops Brushed Alpaca and Silk. It looks like mohair, but it feels like happy. Plus, it’s light as air! I made Paprika with two strands held together, on 8mm/US11 needles. It was a fast and easy knit, worked in one piece from the bottom-up, so no seaming – nothing fussier than picking up stitches.

The style is oversized and roomy. I made a medium but I could have easily made a small. It was definitely an affordable knit, coming in under $50 (I used 8 skeins of Drops Brushed Alpaca and Silk).

When you’re ready to make yours you should definitely take a look at our pattern notes on Ravelry, I found a few quirks with the pattern and noted my modifications & etc. I also feel that the sleeves are way too long and I’d make them several inches shorter. Other than that, I’m pretty pleased with the results!

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Carbeth Cardigan

Check out my new Carbeth Cardigan – I just finished blocking it, and it’s definitely a win. It was relatively quick, and I only used two skeins of Cascade Eco Peruvian Tones, so the price tag isn’t precious. I would totally make this sweater again, and in fact, I was so impressed with the design that we’re offering it as a class this February!

Fit

The fit is great! I made the second size and it fits true to a size small (sometimes with sweaters with a lot of ease through the body it’s hard to tell which size will fit. I wasn’t sure the decorative detail in the shoulder would make me happy (diagonal lines in that area don’t always flatter petite shoulders) but I was very happy and surprised to find that they made my tiny shoulders look great! It’s hard to see on the mannequin because it has even less shoulder than I do, but the lines are very elegant. I think the sweater will look great with a high waisted pant like a trouser cut (unfortunately, another garment my mannequin doesn’t wear well).

Happy Accidents

A small note about the colour of my yarn – it is not supposed to stripe or knit in blocks of colour. There seems to have been a problem with the dye lot I used, which was actually from last year’s stock. It looks like the dye was more saturated in part of the skein. After I figured out what was happening I decided to go with it – I wasn’t in the mood to rip it all back, so I figured I’d take a leap of faith, thinking it might look interesting or add something aesthetically. I think it did.

Check Your Gauge

I swatched A LOT to make sure my tension was accurate. My tension may not be what yours is, so PLEASE swatch and measure your gauge before casting on! The needles I used may not be the right size for you. The pattern called for 6.5mm/US10.5 needles, but I ended up going down to a 5.5mm/US9 to get the right tension.

To measure your gauge, you want to knit a square approximately 6 inches x 6 inches in the stitch that the pattern suggests (if they say their tension is in stocking stitch, then do that). Wash your swatch in cold water with a delicate wash like Eucalan or Soak, and lay it flat to dry. Then, on a hard surface with a ruler, measure the number of stitches and rows inside 4 inches/10 cm in the centre of the piece. DO NOT cast on the number of stitches that are stated in the pattern gauge, this will make a swatch that is too small to measure your tension accurately. How many stitches should you cast on for a swatch? Take the number of stitches in the pattern’s recommended tension (ex. 14 sts = 4″/10cm) and multiply it by 1.5 … so if the tension is 14 stitches you should cast on about 21 stitches. Also, always swatch with the same needles you are going to knit with – people’s tension can change with their comfort level with different types of needles.

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We’re clearing out some summer yarns that we aren’t bringing back, so grab it on sale before it’s gone!

CLEARANCE 30% OFF DMC Natura XL

DMC Natura XL is a bulky weight, machine washable 100% cotton yarn, and is especially great for baby & kid projects, fast sweaters, blankets pillows and afghans, as well as crocheted baskets and other home decor projects.

DMC Natura XL Baby Blanket

Instant Gratification Cardie

We just finished a VERY quick & satisfying summer quickie, our Instant Gratification Cardi! We used a thick & quick cotton, DMC Natura XL, and 8mm/US11 needles – can’t go wrong with big needles! Also, because the yarn is thicker than the one the pattern was originally conceived with, we went down about 4″ in size (we made the 34″ size and got a 38″ size). If you want the sleeves longer, definitely buy an extra skein of yarn.

Adrift

I know it’s really hard for a lot of people to visualize what a yarn will look like knit up, especially when it is a self-patterning or self-striping yarn likeUrth Uneek Fingering. So as my friend Rosie has progressed on the above cardigan, I’ve thought a lot of people would like to see what it can look like. The thickness of the stripes and the exact pooling are of course dependent on the number of stitches cast on, but I think this gives you a good idea of what the yarn can do. I especially love the ‘pooling’, The stripes are kind of groovy and random, a bit missoniesque. The pattern is Adrift, a simple, unstructured top-down cardie with swingy fronts – the perfect canvas for a stunning yarn. Thank you for sharing your beautiful sweater with us Rosie!!!

Carbeth

Why am I showing you this lovely warm, wool sweater in the middle of August? Because I just noticed that the price of Cascade Eco+ Peruvian Tones is going up this fall, and I’d figured I’d give you a head start. If are thinking about making something in this yarn, like the Carbeth cardigan below, NOW is a great time to pick up the yarn, while it’s still at last year’s price. The cardigan in the pictures is colour 06 Ebony, you only need 2 skeins, and you’ll be saving yourself ten bucks!

Size

This cardigan is intended to be wide, cropped, and to hang bell-like from the shoulders. To fit as shown, it should be knitted with at least 10cm / 4in positive ease at the bust. Pick the size at least 10cm / 4in above your actual bust measurement, and if in doubt, select the next size up. Length can easily be added to the sweater to make it less cropped.

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Ava

Ok, this is jumping ahead by a month, but I came across this FREEBIE and it seemed like a great option for a casual cardigan, especially for beginner knitters (the only shaping is in the arms, the back and fronts are perfect rectangles). It’s designed with a basic worsted weight yarn, so you’ve got lots of options, depending on your budget and the aesthetic you want. I think it would look STUNNING knit up in a long ombre colourway like Cascade 220 Superwash Wave, it would create a very Missoni aesthetic. It would also be gorgeous made with hand dyed Malabrigo Rios, you can’t go wrong with hand dyed, super soft merino. And of course, I think everything looks better worked up with a standard heathered colour yarn, like Berroco Vintage or Cascade 220 Superwash. Either way, I think this oversized sweater will fit like a BIG HUG!